Phanty III...

If you are an elephant you might want to think twice about living in my house.

Poor Phanty. Poor poor Phanty.

He just can't catch a break.

Or rather, he keeps catching too many breaks.

That's right, Phanty got the ole Bubbalu treatment (AGAIN!) and has now been lovingly recreated (AGAIN!) by Moi.

I'm going to just choose the glass half full perspective (yes, it IS a choice) and just say this:

Phanty got a makeover!!! SURPRISE!!!

At least someone in this house should have a makeover. Why not an elephant?

Introducing the NEW and IMPROVED Phanty III :



Elmer has been altogether ignored. Bubbalu seems to fancy Phanty. (Fancy Phanty...say that 10 times fast. *snicker*)

But watch out Elmer, he may get you next!



A

Who's Who Who?

Remember Wally the Whale? No?

OK, here ya go:



We liked Wally the Whale. He was a cute addition to the kiddos sparsely decorated bathroom.

Yes, I AM using the past tense.

I bought an adorable new shower curtain for the kiddos bathroom at Tarshay':


And have I actually hung it up? Of course not. Did I actually remember to purchase shower hooks? Of course not. I may improvise with coordinating ribbons and just tie it on. Currently it's just thrown over the shower curtain rod in a big heap aquiring even MORE wrinkles. Lovely.

I had the hardest time finding with a shower curtain in their bathroom that was TRULY gender neutral and, ya know, was adorable.

Sadly, Wally the Whale was greatly confused.

"Uh, I thought this was an oceany-type of bathroom, but all I'm seeing are trees, squirrels and owls. What's going on here? I'm feeling out of place!"

Yes Wally, you ARE out of place.

Buh bye Wally.

And yes, we're all sad about that....

... but Hello Who Who!



Yes, Bubbalu named it Who Who. Not Hoot hoot like I had hoped he would name him/her/it but Who Who. Whatever.

To create Who Who I repurposed an already thrifted and repurposed frame and dug into my scrapbook paper stash. I copied the trees and owl from the shower curtain and just freehanded it onto scrapbook paper and cut em out.

The background is muslin fabric which gives it a bit more texture (like you can even see it, sheesh. I would LOVE to upgrade our camera...and maybe actually read the directions on how to use it. That might be helpful?).

Welcome to our home Who Who. Be warned, we have a high destruction per decorative object ratio in our home. I do hope you survive for more than a week or so. You're too stinkin cute...

A

Hair, There and Everywhere...

Bubbalu was looking a tad scary. His overgrown locks only magnified that impish grin...and may contribute to his mischievousness:



In an effort to hopefully reduce the impishness....Haircut time!

We're officially ready for summer. We've shed our winter coats and have our summer 'do on and ready to go:



Guess what? It didn't work.

He's still impish. And mischievous. And destrucive.

In other hair there and everywhere news, Lil Chick is now officially sportin' her very first ponytail. The word "Ponytail" is kind of a misnomer, as tails usually hang DOWN. Like a pony's.

Not so with Lil Chick.

She has a spurt of a pony"tail" that for the life of me I can't get to hang down. It defies gravity without the use of any haircare product:



But that's OK, she doesn't seem to mind:



A

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The Flouncy Skirt...with Tutorial!

Mama made me a Flouncy Skirt. It's nice and sassy, just like me:



It's flips and flounces as I walk and crawl:





or when I'm standing, just being me:



The Flouncy Skirt:

Step 1: Purchase or repurpose xx-large (as large as you can find) clearance with extra 50% off lowest price jersey t-shirt with bottom elastic ruching, or banding, detail. I found mine at an Old Navy clearance and paid under $2 for it. For this project it works best to have multiple layers of banding/elastic ruching to create your easy skirt waistband. Here's a perfect example of what I'm talking about:



Step 2: Measure your little girl's waist and add about two inches. Using this measurement, cut through one layer of the shirt to cut your new waistband. Leave an extra fourish or so inches on the length, like so:



Step 3: Put shorter right sides together and sew, creating a tube. The skirt waistband is already finished so no fussy finishing needed there. Yippee!

Step 4: Find a complimentary fabric for the Flounce main part of the skirt. I choose some leftover pink flannel that I am LOVING right now. I cut mine 6 inches wide by 30 inches long. Add extra width for a longer skirt or extra length for a flouncier skirt. Subtract inches in the width for a shorter skirt or subtract inches in the length for a less flouncier skirt (WHY anyone would want a LESS flouncier skirt, I have NO. IDEA).

Step 5: Finish (or leave raw, you rebel you!) both edges on the length and sew right sides of the width together creating a big tube of fabric. This will be your FLOUNCE.

Step 6: Gather and attach the flounce to the waistband. You can sew a basting stitch an inch lower than the top hem and gather the skirt before sewing the flounce to the waistband or you can be lazy like me and just hand gather and eyeball it, shoving folds of fabric under the presser foot as you go. I realize this sounds confusing, here's a diagram:


Sew the RIGHT side of the bottom edge of the waistband to the WRONG side of skirt flounce along the dotted line ( yes, leaving an inch or so of finished edge fabric out) attaching the flounce to the lower elastic edge of your already made waistband, gathering as you go. Here's a pic of mine:



Step 7: Cut a 4 x 4 square of fabric from leftover t-shirt and attach to under skirt making it a boyshort. Diagram:




Step 8: Try your Flouncy skirt on your daughter and giggle at the cuteness of it all:



Step 9: (optional) Dig through fabric stash and plan for 5 more FLOUNCY skirts...

A

The BOYS...

Yeah yeah yeah, I KNOW urine is sterile.

I KNOW bathrooms are the place to empty thyself of urine.

I KNOW toilets are supposedly the place to put the urine INTO.

But.

Can I just say???

Boys are disgusting.

Thank you,

A

We're Going Swimming, Retro Style...

Guess what? I can't think of anything sassy to say.

The meds are really starting to affect me. Or it could be lack of sleep. Yes we are on day #8 of illness in our house (as in everyone) and this bug is a DOOZY. Even though my sense of taste and smell are on vacation (A.K.A. the most effective diet on the planet) I am still able to shop online and share my picks.

I am DIGGING this retro 1940's style swimwear thing that's been going on. I myself found a cute, adequately covering, retro-inspired black with white polka dot bikini swimsuit. SUPER excited about my find. The only problem? I can't find it online to show you. (Hangs head in shame.) And don't even think about asking for a pic of me wearing it. SO not happening.

However, I've had fun finding some vintage/retro'ish swimsuits online. Here are some of my fave's found online for under $100:

The Jantzen "Vamp Maillot" for $98:



It also comes in black or fuchsia.

The Coco-Rave "Beach Blanket Stripe" Bandeau top and Ruffled Skirted Bottom, $44 for the top, $50 for the bottom:


(Don'tcha just love how I look in this picture? I always pose like this on the beach, don't you? You should. And HELLO! There's a huge flower pin in her...er...I mean MY hair!)

Oh, and for uber-cheapo polka dot fun, here is the Norma Kamali Bandeau Tankini Top and Dot Skirted Bottom from Wally world for $15 each piece:


(hello, awkward space in between pictures! I'm pretty certain they aren't in proportion, but it looks mightly familiar to what I see in the mirror.)


Also from Wally World, a Red Shirred Halter for only $30:



But, of course, if you really truly want vintage inspired swimwear, each one under $100, you need to go HERE:





SO cute.

And you betcha I'll be making a ginormous red flower to wear in my hair with my black and white polka dot bikini. Throw on some huge Jacki O. white rimmed sunglasses, paint my lips red and I'm good to go.

But the wedge patent leather red heels? I think I'll pass. I'd just trip in them anyways. The last thing I want is to do is introduce my face to the deck floor in front of hundreds of people. Especially while wearing a bikini. And a huge red flower in my hair. I'd probably break my huge Jacki O. white rimmed sunglasses and smudge my red lipstick. See? SO not worth the red shoes!

Happy swimsuit shopping!

A

A Blossom Here, A Blossom There...

A bit o' retro red and white stripe:



A SASSY bright yellow:



Polka dots are never fail:



Two new reserved baby/toddler headbands:



Two sets of Custom Reserved Bridal Flower Hair pins:





And an unveiling of the adult flower headband in gold:



And deep plum:



with more in the works. Mama's been busy!

A

Up - Decorating Lil Chick's Room...

Be still my heart.

I'm getting all twitchy with visions of repainting furniture in sassy colors and sewing ruffles onto....well...everything.

I found a nursery tour over at Ohdeedoh.com and promptly fell in love with it.

Wanna see it? OK then:


(Posted with permission from Jodi Mockabee)

See the entire room tour on her blog, The Bee Hive, HERE.

Big fat puffy heart love it.

I love the colors, the sass, the touch of vintage (of course!), the craftiness, the RUFFLES and the complete non-cookie cutter style.

Ya know what I mean? I want my kiddos rooms to have individuality, not just look like I bought a 29 piece room decorating set at the local Tar-shay... which is pretty much what I did for Lil Chick's nursery. And as much as I love me some Pottery Barn and Land of Nod, I don't want their bedrooms to look like page 14 out of the PBK catalog.

Now, I know what you are thinking.

"Uh, Amanda!? You are on your soapbox preaching about stylistic individuality yet you are saying you LOVE this nursery that SOMEONE ELSE has and WANT it? UM.....".

Yeah, I know. I don't want a copy cat of this nursery, just the essence of it. Take some stylistic ideas and give it the ole Vintage Dutch Girl stamp of creativity and spunk.

RULES for up-decorating (Kinda like up-cycling, but in the decoration genre. Basically, it means improving on the current look and style.) Lil Chick's room:

1. I may not spend mucho moolah. Translation: I'm dutch and on a budget so let's keep it cheap.
2. I must have rick-rack. I don't know where, but it must exist in her room SOMEWHERE.
3. Also polka-dots. Polka-dots rock my sassy world.
4. I must infuse color. Pink and chocolate brown do NOT consist of a complete color palette for a little girls' room. MUST HAVE ACCENT COLOR.
5. RUFFLES. Do I really need to explain this one?
6. Sweetness. After all, she IS my sweet baby girl.
7. A chick. Lil Chick needs a chick in her room, right? It's only fitting.
8. Vintageyness. Duh.

How am I going to accomplish this gorgeous up-decorating of Lil Chick's room? I have no idea.

But I do believe it will involve up-cycling, recovering, repainting and repurposing multiple items from inside my house and garage.

Stay tuned...

A

*** Make my day and become a fan on the Vintage Dutch Girl Facebook Fan page found HERE. ***

Lace Trimmed T-Shirt and Tutorial...

Step 1: Buy an inexpensive, boring plain v-neck from, well, ANYWHERE. Me? I chose an Old Navy dark gray tee:



See? It's boring. It needs some help.

Step 2: Dig through huge bag of vintage lace and notions lovingly thrifted and given to you by your Grandma K and pick out some sassy, funky or complimentary ribbon or lace. ( Hee hee hee, I'm imagining my ribbon saying, "My my Amanda, you are looking mighty FINE today!" Get it? Complimentary ribbon? OK, It's just me then.)

Step 3: (If needed) Serge or zig-zag stitch raw edge of lace or ribbon. (Yep, I'm slowly getting over my serger fear! However, it must still be having an effect on me because I completely forgot to take a photo.)

Step 4: Pin lace around neckline of t-shirt. Remember to not pin the back of the shirt while pinning. I pinned both the inside and outside edges of the lace all the way around the neckline:



I didn't have enough lace, but would have liked to go all the way around to the back of the neckband. Instead I serged the ends and pinned them down at the shoulder seam:



Step 4.2: Carefully miter (translation: fold it until it looks right) and pin lace or ribbon in place at the bottom of the "V" if you chose a v-neck style t-shirt. Of course, with a scoop neck or regular t-shirt this may not be needed...OR, you may need to every so often add a tiny fold to allow the lace to curve around the neckline correctly. Once again, just fold and pin until it looks right.



Step 5: Stitch the lace to the shirt along the inside/unfinished/serged edge first:



Step 6: Stitch the outside edge of the lace to the shirt, following the decorative pattern. I followed the curves as much as possible so it wouldn't flip up after washing:



Step 7: I stitched the folds down at the bottom of the "V" so it would lay flat. My stitch lines are marked in red:



Step 8: Admire your handiwork then jump giddily around your sewing room because you created something cute, individual, inexpensive AND sassy in a short amount of time:



Step 9: Try sassy new shirt on and attempt to take a self portrait without showing the camera or your face or earrings. Whoops, guess I didn't do Step 9 very well:

Pin It

Step 10: Wear it everywhere. It's a washable t-shirt so who cares if your 3 year old smudges it with jelly coated fingers? Just make sure that 3 year old isn't wielding a sharpie. I mean, I'm pretty good at getting stains out but that's pushing it.

This Lace Trimmed T-shirt can dress up jeans, dress down a suit jacket but can also be worn under a simple zip up hoodie paired with faded black yoga pants while feeding the kiddos lunch and doing laundry. Oh wait? Is that just me?

Enjoy your sassy Lace Trimmed T-shirts!

A


*** Make my day and become a fan on the Vintage Dutch Girl Facebook Fan page found HERE. ***

Slacker Window Washing Woman...

It is a uncharacteristically gorgeous day over here at the Vintage Dutch Girl homestead. Beautiful sun shining through my smudged, speckled and fingerprinted windows.

Speaking of windows, I need some help.

I have ginormous windows. So ginormous, in fact, that I have (choose) to custom make all my curtains because this lady isn't shelling out $200+ PER PANEL for extra long and extra wide curtains. Especially when this lady knows how to make her own for a significantly lower amount.

These ginormous windows of ours get dirty...FAST. Smudges, speckles, fingerprints and the leftover residue from using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to scrub sharpie off the window. I am NOT like my neighbor lady who washes her windows on a weekly basis. Her OUTSIDE GARAGE windows.

Yeah, I know. WEEKLY. I wonder if she's bored? Or maybe she has some serious obsessive compulsive tendencies with cleaning. If so, maybe I should invite her over. We could have some serious cleaning therapy going on over here. And ya know what? I wouldn't even charge for her therapy because I'm nice like that.

I've heard that using vinegar is the best (and cheapest! You know me, I like a good deal. What can I say? I'm a penny-pinching dutch girl. ) window cleaning method. I've also seen some window washing "recipes" that also advise using a drop or two of liquid detergent in your vinegar/water mixture.

So interpeeps, what do you recommend? Do you follow a specific ratio mix for your window washing? Do you use a spray bottle with your mixture? A bucket full of the mix and use one wet rag to clean and one ray to dry?

Seriously, help a girl out...

A

Quivering Eyeballs...

I did a few loads of laundry last night while watching 24 and then CSI: Miami.

I was so stinkin proud of myself for completely catching up on the laundry. Not only was it washed...but it was FOLDED within an hour of exiting the dryer.

That is rare in these parts.

I also actually carried the laundry basket complete with folded and organized clean laundry UPSTAIRS.

I know. Lance about fainted.

And this morning? I PUT IT ALL AWAY.

Now I just about fainted.

But guess what?

Walked into the laundry room about forty minutes ago and saw a laundry basket full of dirty clothes.

FULL.

My family produces dirty laundry so fast it makes my head spin and my eyeballs quiver.

I know. Quivering eyeballs are an unfortunate side-effect of dirty laundry overload.

Ya know, now that I think about it the quiver eyeballs may also be due to the sugar overload from the toffee bars I noshed on while watching the last hour of 24.

The rate of chewing rose simultaneously with the degree of tension.

And 24 had A LOT of tension.

And can I just say? I didn't remember who Renee Walker was. I seriously don't remember her from last season. She looks vaguely familiar but the story line is a no go in my brain's "remember this" section.

Probably because I was a just a tad bit sleep deprived during the last season.

And I have finally discovered the reason why I like CSI: Miami over Las Vegas or New York.

It's COLOR.

CSI: Miami has LOTS of color. Gorgeous blue water, clear sunny skies and lots and lots of COLOR. I live in the pacific northwest, we don't get a TON of color and clear blue sunny skies.

One could argue watching multiple episodes of CSI:Miami may in fact repel the late winter/early spring "gloomies" that pacific northwest residents are commonly afflicted with.

So, I'm off to do MORE laundry, nosh on toffee bars and have some "gloomies" therapy...

A

Shopping for Toothpick Boy...

I am freshly back from a refreshingly efficient shopping trip. Meaning I was able to cross some things off of my list.

Item #1: Get Destructo Boy some new jeans.

After all, his ankles were starting to get frostbite. It's not such a good look to have come short-wearin' season.

And can I just say? Trying pants on a toddler in a dressing room is NOT my idea of relaxation.
Those dressing rooms ECHO. "Mama, why are you taking my pants off??? Mama, I don't want to try on jeans!!! Let's go home, sound like a good idea???"

And then when I finally gave up on him and had the AUDACITY to try some on for myself, (because of Item #2: Get Mama some new jeans that don't make her look schleppy) he yelled, "Mama, why are you taking your pants off??? Let's go home, sound like a good idea? Mama, stop looking at your buns!"

BIG echo.

Finding pants for my toddler boy is proving a real challenge. Especially when your 33 lb and off the charts height toddler is able to remove his already cinched to the max jeans easily without undoing any snaps, buttons or zippers. He is one skinny little string bean. Kinda like a marshmallow head with a toothpick body.

However, Old Navy once again came through with their regular dark wash jeans, 2 for $22, plus an extra 10% off entire order coupon.

And I almost forgot to mention, I DID find myself some new jeans. I am STINKIN excited.

Perfect fit, perfect wash and on the clearance rack....with an extra 50% off lowest price.

Y'all, I paid $7.25.

Wait! I had an extra 10% off entire order coupon!

Y'all, I paid $6.52.

:)

A

*** Make my day and become a fan on the Vintage Dutch Girl Facebook Fan page found HERE ***

Destructo Boy Makes His THIRD Appearance...

(Written last night)

Completion of dinner preparation thwarted by toddler (soon to be officially renamed Destructo Boy) performing a tagging of the house with a foolishly unguarded glue stick. At least it wasn't a sharpie this time around.

He hit the dining room, stairs and stairwell and once again, the office. What is WITH the office that is so enticing to him? At least he left the computer screen alone this time.

Funny thing was, I was listening to Duffy's song. 'Mercy'

"I'm begging you for Mercy! Why don't you release me? You got me beggin, You got me beggin, You got me beggin! For Mercy!"

Yeah, I'd say that's pretty applicable for how I'm feeling right about now.

C'mon Bubbalu. Give Mama a break, huh?

A